Leadership

Rosh Yeshiva – Rabbi Avraham Tanzer

Rabbi Tanzer was born in Brooklyn New York, U S A in October 1935. He was educated at the Yeshiva Torah Ve d’as in New York, and at the Telsher Yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio. After he received smicha, he continued as a fellow at the Post Graduate Institute Kollel Yad Eliyahu Meir, and was also a graduate at the Kaufman Teaching Institute in Cleveland.

As Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva College of South Africa since 1963, the schools developed under his jurisdiction include: Yeshiva College Boys High School, Yeshiva Leila Bronner Girls High School, Yeshiva Menora Primary School, Yeshiva Menora Primary School and Yeshiva Pre-Grade and I E Goldberg Nursery Schools.

Rabbi Tanzer is the founding Rabbi and spiritual leader of the Glenhazel Area Hebrew Congregation, a community of 750 families catering to the individual needs of many groups of congregants. In the greater community, Rabbi Tanzer has been involved with the following positions:

President of the South African Rabbinical Association 1988 – 1995

Vice President of the South African Rabbinical Association 1995 -2007

Honorary Life Member of the Rabbinical Association – August 2007

Member of the Gauteng Council of the S A Jewish Board of Deputies since l988 – present

Member of the Israeli United Appeal/United Communal Fund National Campaign Cabinet 1975 – 1990

Member of the National Council of the South African Board of Jewish Education 1975 – 2000

Honorary Vice President of the South African United Mizrachi since 1983 – 2000

Honorary member of the Hebrew Order of David Lodge Jerusalem since 1967 – date

Recipient in 2009 of the Eric Samson-Mendel Kaplan Communal Service Award for outstanding service to Jewish causes in South Africa.

Featured in the Mishpacha Sukkot magazine in 2009

Rabbi Tanzer is married to Marcia Charrick of Baltimore, U S A. and they are the parents of six children who have made them proud grandparents.

Managing Director – Rabbi Leron Bernstein

Rabbi Leron Bernstein joined Yeshiva College Schools after spending a number of years learning in Israel. Rav Leron learnt in various Yeshivot including Yeshivat Har Etzion, Yeshivat Hakotel, Hamivtar and as a Rabbinic intern on the Orayta Fellowship programme. During this time he completed his Smicha while attending various practical courses in Education and teaching. He simultaneously completed a Bcom in Information Systems and Industrial Psychology through UNISA.

Rav Leron is a graduate of King David Victory Park and after matriculating began his tenure in Israel on the Bnei Akiva MTA programme. After his first two years in Yeshiva, he returned to South Africa to dedicate 3 years to the community – working at the Division of Informal Jewish Education and then as Rosh Machaneh for Bnei Akiva in 2006. Rav Leron then returned to Israel for a further 5 years on the YAD programme – Mizrachi Organization of South Africa’s pioneering long term leadership development programme

After completing his studying in Israel, Rav Leron, along with his family, made his way to South Africa to eagerly begin his Shlichut at the Yeshiva College Boys’ High School in 2012.

Menahel Boys’ High School – Rabbi Tzvi Chaimovitz

Rav Tzvi is the Rabbi of West Street Shul and in his short time at Yeshiva College has impressed and made an incredible contribution to the lives of the talmidim that he has touched. Rav Tzvi grew up in Brooklyn, NY and spent a number of years living with his family in Yerushalayim. He has grown through exposure to many prominent Rabbanim and renowned Torah institutions, and has done numerous courses and gained much experience in Rabbanut and Chinuch. Rav Tzvi brings a real fresh, dynamic, structured and passionate approach to chinuch, coupled with his signature integrity and drive to make a profound difference to Am Yisrael.

High School Principal – Denese Bloch

Denese Bloch qualified as a high school teacher through Wits University and spent a number of years teaching English to grade 11 and grade 12 learners. In 1990 Denese joined the staff of King David Linksfield where she taught for 19 years, becoming a Grade Supervisor and later to become one of the Directors. At the end of 2008, Denese became the principal of the Yeshiva College Boys and Girls High Schools.

Menahelet Girls’ High School – Morah Chana Meira Katz

Chana Meira earned her teaching Diploma from Hadar Beis Yaakov in Jerusalem. She is a graduate of the Ohr LaGolah Leadership programme, and received a BA in Psychology and English from UNISA with distinction. In addition to spending over a decade teaching in a classroom setting, Morah Katz has many years of experience being a Madricha, as well as tutoring and counselling girls in High and Post school programs. Whilst being passionate about Torah studies, Chana Meira has also been instrumental in implementing 21st century teaching practices in the high-school. When Morah Katz is not in the classroom, she enjoys freelance writing. Her articles have been published in South Africa and abroad. She is married to Rabbi Jeremy Katz and has five children.

Primary School Principal – Joseph Beer

Mr Joseph Beer has over 25 years teaching experience in various private and government schooling institutions.

He is a graduate of the Yeshiva College Class of 1987. After matric, Mr Beer attended the MTA course in Israel and thereafter, completed a Bachelor of Arts in Education through Unisa.

In addition, he has a Post Graduate diploma in family and relationship therapy and Trauma Counselling.

Pre-Primary School Prinicpal – Ruth Kirkel

Ruth Kirkel qualified through the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Pretoria.

Her involvement in Early Childhood Education extends over a period of more than twenty five years.

Her interest in and commitment to education includes those learners with special needs and she has worked with a range of learners over the years.

Passionate about the educational and emotional needs of young children, in particular, Ruth encourages a culture of warmth and excellence in her school. With education a dynamic and ongoing process, Ruth and her staff are committed to attending continuous professional development courses on a variety of topics pertaining to Early Childhood development.

She is married with three children.

Director of Sport – Grant Forssman

Mr Grant Forssman was born in Pretoria and started his school endeavours at W.H.I.P.S. . The family then packed up and moved to Johannesburg where he started his new adventure at K.E.P.S. where he flourished as a budding sportsman receiving Provincial Colours for Swimming and represented his Area Soccer Team. He then went to Highlands North Boys High School where he received Provincial colours for Swimming, Water polo and Hockey. He then did a post matric at Parktown Boy High on a sports scholarship for rugby. Grant is very passionate about swimming and and he has swum the Midmar Mile 13 times. He also enjoys hiking and anything outdoors.

Grant Forsman has worked in the sports industry for close to a decade now and has worked in many different schooling environments including St. Stithians, Pridwin and the Ridge. Grant Forssman is the Director of Sports at Yeshiva college and is the binding force behind our sports department.